Citadel, Ronan Keating raise R1.4m during annual charity auction

“Cancer has always been a cause close to my heart and I am honoured to perform and raise funds for children with such indescribable challenges and circumstances. The past eight months has been an eye opener for most of us and to work alongside great partners like Citadel and Gary Player to impactfully change the lives of children in South Africa, is something truly special,” said Keating.

All proceeds from the charity auction and pledges will be shared by the Gary Player Foundation and the Ronan Keating Foundation. These two foundations are actively committed to transforming the lives of South African children in need. The beneficiaries are the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Oncology Unit in Cape Town and the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School in Johannesburg.

Impactful sustainability

Citadel CEO Andrew Möller expressed his appreciation for the overwhelming support received during the virtual livestream concert and charity auction.

“I am pleased that we managed to raise a significant amount of funds, considering the unprecedented times we still find ourselves in. I would like to thank everyone for their generous contribution which will alleviate poverty and uplift communities throughout South Africa. Our commitment to impactful sustainability remains a core focus at Citadel and to be able to raise funds during a global pandemic is truly remarkable,” said Möller.

The evening also commemorated South African golf legend Gary Player for his 85th birthday: “I believe that when you reach the top, you have to share your success and making a real difference in communities is something that is extremely close to my heart,” said Player.

Supporting young oncology patients

Senior oncologist at the Red Cross Children’s Hospital Dr Marc Hendricks explained how donations like these assist with everyday operations and support for young patients in the Oncology Unit: “The Oncology Unit at the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital strives on ensuring that the best medical treatment is available for our patients and for this we are constantly growing our educational capacity when it comes to research and treatment.”

“The funds received has helped us move progressively towards building world-class facilities and none of this would be possible without the support from great organisations like Citadel with Ronan Keating and Gary Player,” he added.